I had no weapon, it is true, and if they had the sense and the courage to come in a body along the narrow way, things might go ill with me.  The first comer, and the second, I could dispose of, but if the others came close behind they could end me, as I fought.  But I did not believe they would have the courage, even though they saw it was the only possible chance.  For that knife-edge of a path—­two hundred yards in length and but two feet wide in places, with the sea breaking on the rocks three hundred feet below on each side—­set unaccustomed heads swimming, and put tremors into legs that were steady even at sea.

My sudden disappearance had puzzled them.  They were discussing the matter with heat, and I could hear young Torode’s voice above the rest urging them forward and girding at their lack of courage.  Their broken growls came back to me also.

“Girl’s yours, ’tis for you to follow her.”

“Fools!” said Torode.  “If he escapes, your necks are in the noose.”

“He’s down cliff, and she ran on.”

“We’d have seen him fall.  He’s behind one of them stacks, an’—­”

“Not me—­on an edge like that—­and ne’er a rope to lay hold of.”

“Ropewalking’s no part of a seaman’s duty,”—­and the like, while Torode stormed between whiles and cursed them for cowards.

“Bien!” I heard at last.  “If you are all such curs, I’ll go myself.  If he shows, shoot him.  You’re brave enough for that.  He can’t hurt you.”

I heard his steps along the narrow path, and wrenched out a chunk of rock from the crumbling pillar to heave at him.

He came on cautiously, and I stood with the missile poised to hurl the moment he appeared.  He was evidently in doubt as to my hiding-place.  I pressed away round the pillar as far as I dared—­till another step must have landed me on the rocks below.  I wanted him in sight before I showed myself, for one chance was all I could expect.

The men behind watched him in silence now.  I held my breath.  A second or two would decide the matter between us.

A musket barrel came poking round my bastion, but I was balanced like a fly on the seaward side.  Then Torode’s dark eyes met mine as he peered cautiously round the corner.  He fired instantly, and my footing was too precarious to let me even duck.  My left arm tingled and went numb, but before he could draw a pistol I stepped to safer ground and launched my rock at him.  It caught him lower than I intended, but that was the result of my insecure foothold.  I meant it for his head.  It took him between neck and shoulder.  He dropped like an ox, and his musket went clattering down the steep.  He lay still across the path, very near to the place where, as I looked, I could see again Black Boy’s straining eyes and pitiful scrabbling feet as he hung for a moment before falling into the gulf.

A howl and a burst of curses from the cautious ones behind greeted his fall, but I heard no sound of footsteps coming to their leader’s assistance.